Sources of Trauma & Healing for Latinas

Carrie Castañeda-Sound, PhDSection 3 Concerns of Hispanic

Women/Latinas

Immigration-related Oppression

“…right now, working in the community, especially with young Latinas who in my eyes are the future of the country, there is one issue that that seems to be ever present and keeps coming back in my conversations and work with Latinas. This is the issue of immigration, particularly undocumented immigration, and the impact that this is having on the lives of Latinas across the country. There is a lot of fear in the community that has as you all know has been there for a long time, but that has grown and become more real recently for immigrant and nonimmigrant Latinas who are also affected by it through the stereotypes and anti-Latino/a sentiment across the country. I don't know that there is one way that Latinas have found to heal or cope with this issue and in fact, what I have seen in the last few months from many, is a feeling of frustration and a sense of hopelessness.”

-Section 3 Member

Intimate Partner Violence:Prevalence

• The prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence for Latinas is 1.5 to 2.4 times higher than that of European Americans (Field & Caetano, 2004)

• The risk for violence is strongly intertwined with socioeconomic resources, age, marital status, number of children, and intimate partner’s substance use.

• 49% of a sample of Latina women had experienced physical abuse, 11% experienced sexual abuse, and 40% experienced emotional or verbal abuse from an intimate partner during their lifetime (Hass, Dutton, & Orlaff, 2000)

• In interviews with 292 Latina women (US born, immigrant, or migrant-seasonal), 34% reported physical violence, 21% reported sexual coercion, and 82.5% reported psychological aggression (Hazen & Soriano, 2007)

Cultural Barriers

-Language-Familismo—places group needs over individual’s…believe

children need a father; religious views against divorce. So they will tolerate the situation (aguantar) due to a sense of loyalty. Torn between duty to preserve the family and their obligation to themselves.

-Sometimes no supportive network---only husband and children-Most relied on extended family members for support, as well as

strong religious convictions. Only a few sought help from religious leaders (“Struggle is a part of life”).

-Fatalism

Vidales, 2010

Structural Barriers

• Poverty ----According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (2008), Women in families with incomes below $10,000 per year are more likely than other women to be violently attacked by an intimate. • Economic dependence prevents termination of an abusive

relationship

Institutional Barriers

• Fear of deportation increases risk for exploitations. Even though the Battered Immigrant Woman Protection Act of 2000 protects their rights.

Coping, Healing, Surviving & Thriving

• Role of la familia y communidad

• Role of Language-Use of native language…language of emotion (Altarriba &

Santiago-Rivera, 1994; Bamford, 1991; Padilla et al., 1991; Santiago-Rivera & Altarriba, 2002)

• Folk Healing, Dichos, Cuentos , y Testimonios

Comas-Diaz (2006). Latino healing: The integration of ethnic psychology into psychotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research , Practice, Training, 43(4), 436-453.

"Many of my patients have 'coped' by becoming over-involved with their careers, many of them attaining professional success, but continuing to feel a sense of emptiness internally. In a sense, this way of coping has given them direction and a ticket out of the old neighborhoods, but they carry these 'old neighborhoods' (ways of relating) within them.”

-Dr. Rebeca Gonzalez, Section 3 Member

Coping, Healing, Surviving, and Thriving

Role of Spirituality

• When traditional Latinas have irresolvable problems, stress will be released by leaving their struggles in “God’s hands.” “…que sea lo que Dios quiera,”

References

• Altarriba, J., & Santiago-Rivera, A. L. (1994). Current perspectives on using linguistic and cultural factors in counseling the Hispanic client. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 25, 388–397.

• Comas-Diaz, L. (2006). Latino healing: The integration of ethnic psychology into psychotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research , Practice, Training, 43(4), 436-453.

• Hazen, A.L., & Soriano, F.I. (2007). Experiences with intimate partner violence among Latina women. Violence Against Women, 13(6), 562-582.

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2005). Promoting culturally cometent trauma-informed practices, NCTSN Culture & Trauma Briefs, 1(1).

• Santiago-Rivera, A. L., & Altarriba, J. (2002). The role of language in therapy with the Spanish–English bilingual client. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 30–38.

• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Digest of Education Statistics, 2005 (NCES 2006-030),

• Vidales, G.T. (2010). Arrested justice: The multifaceted plight of immigrant Latinas who faced domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 25, 533-544.